Hand cutting tool

ABSTRACT

A hand cutting tool comprises a handle connected to three contiguous blades, the outer two blades being serrated and adapted to hold and support a replaceable thin, flat cutting blade. The support blades are cooperating first and second serrated blades defining a channel adapted to receive and provide transverse support for the thin, flat blade. Releaseable connecting means fixedly connect the first and second support members together and clamp said support members contiguously to said cutting blade. Key-hole slots and pins can maintain the extended portion of each support member and the cutting blade in contiguous and connected relationship while holding the thin replaceable blades in positions.

United States Patent Langford July 22, 1975 HAND CUTTING TOOL Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith [76] Inventor: Orville L. Langford, 120 Lakeview, Asmmm Peters New Braunfels Tex 78130 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cornelius, Powell &

Perkins [22] Filed: Dec. 21, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 427,041 [57] ABSTRACT A hand cutting tool comprises a handle connected to [52] US. Cl 30/299; 30/332 three contiguous blades, the outer two blades being [51] Int. Cl. B26b 5/00 serrated and adapted to hold and support a replace- [58] Field of Search 30/272 A, 299, 304, 329, able thin, flat cutting blade. The support blades are 30/339, 349, 337, 338, 332, 351, 353 cooperating first and second serrated blades defining a channel adapted to receive and provide transverse [56] References Cited support for the thin, flat blade. Releaseable connect- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing means fixedly connect the first and second support members together and clamp said support members contiguously to said cutting blade. Key-hole slots and 1 992517 2/1935 Watson 30/299 X pins can maintain the extended portion of each sup- 2,054:104 9/1936 Smith 30/349 x P member and the Cutting blade in contiguous and 2,448,957 9/1948 Ciarlone 30/338 connected relationship while holding the thin replace- 2,911,717 11/1959 Knoll 30/272 A able blades in positions. 3,189,998 6/1965 Beisheim.... 30/272 A 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 HAND CUTTING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a hand cutting tool and more particularly is directed to a cutting tool comprising three contiguous cutting blades, the outer twoblades being serrated and adapted to hold and support between them a replaceable thin, flat cutting blade.

2. Description of the Prior Art Multiblade cutting tools are well known in the prior art such as the slicing knives disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 595,597 and US. Pat. No. 726,697. Such knives, however, require that the blades be spaced apart as their intended function is to slice in one operation. multiple portions, each having the width of such separations. Other cutting tools have been designed to hold a plurality of blades such as those of US. Pat. No. 3,488,843. Such tools, however. are limited to presenting only one blade in the cutting position. Other cutting tools have utilized close fitting supports for thin replaceable blades such as those of US. Pat. No. 1,548,139 and US. Pat. No. 2,637,904. However, such cutting tools also employ only a single cutting blade.

I have discovered a hand cutting tool which employs three contiguous cutting blades in such a fashion as to impart vastly improved cutting ability. Moreover, the cutting tool of this invention is simple and inexpensive to produce and incorporates a cheap, readily available blade as the replaceable component between the support blades. Thus, the cutting tools of this invention are suitable for a variety of uses including commercial, sporting and domestic uses.

SUMMARY In summary this invention is directed to a hand cutting tool comprising a handle and three contiguous blades, the outer two blades being serrated and adapted to hold and support a replaceable thin, flat cutting blade, said supporting blades defining a channel adapted to receive and provide transverse support for said replaceable blade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings,

FIG. I is an exploded perspective view ofa hand cutting tool according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the blades of a hand cutting tool of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective sectional view illustrating a suitable manner of assembling the handle into a locking arrangement with the base portion of the supporting blades.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the supporting serrated blades of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the supporting serrated blades of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a simplified exploded perspective view of an embodiment of this invention wherein the handle is connected to the supporting blades 11 and 13 which are on either side of and in contiguous relationship with the replaceable blade 12. For the purpose of holding the forward portions of the blades 11, 12, and 13 in intimate contact, any readily removable interconnecting means may be employed such as for example the keyhole slot 15 and rivet l6 arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and in close-up in FIG. 2. As illustrated the blade 11 is provided with a projecting rivet 16 which passes through an aperture not shown in blade 12 and the blade 13 is provided with a keyhole slot 15. With this type arrangement the exposed portions of the blades can be readily assembled for use or disassembled for cleaning or changing the disposable blade 12. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, other readily detachable connecting means can be used. Except for the interconnecting means 15 and 16, the support blades 11 and 13 differ only in that blade 11 has a projecting top surface 1 M, which overlaps the top of blade 13 and seals the the channel formed by the support blades. Preferably the support blades are formed of stainless steel and are precision honed so as to be razor sharp. They are also provided with serrated cutting edges as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The serrations are shown in offset position but can also be positioned di rectly opposed. If desired the support blades 11 and 13 can be provided with a tungsten carbide coating to harden the surface of the blades and increase their useful life. The ends of the support blades remote from the tips 11a and 13a can terminate in screw threaded sections 11b and 13b which, when the blades are assembled in position for joining with the handle 10, form a cylindrical bolt arrangement for concentrically connecting the same with the handle by means of the female threaded section of the handle 17 providing a locking nut arrangement for the ends of the blades. Other suitable means of connecting the blades and bandle will be apparent to those skilled in the art. FIG. 4 shows the support blades 11 and 13 in crosssection with the projecting top surface 11d of one blade overlapping the top of the other blade thereby sealing the upper edge of the channel between the support blades. FIG. 5 similarly shows the support blades 11 and 13 in crosssection with the projecting top surface 11d only partially overlapping the top of blade 13.

The handle 10 of the cutting tools of this invention can be constructed of any suitable material including metals, synthetics such as plastic, nylon, or rubber, or natural materials such as wood or bone. The replaceable blade 12 can be either a commercially available razor blade; or series of such blades, or a similar blade fabricated specifically for the cutting tools of this invention. In either event the keyhole slots and rivets will be sized and positioned to hold the replaceable blade or blades in a fixed and stationary position.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 employ a blade arrangement in which the downward projecting serrations of the suport blades 11 and 13 extend just beyond the cutting edge of the replaceable blade. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this aspect can be modified to give a tool in which the projecting portions of the serrations extend to a greater or lesser degree beyond the cutting edge of the replaceable blade, or which do not extend at all beyond the cutting edge of the replaceable blade; as may be desired.

Surprisingly, the cutting tools of this invention demonstrate exceptional effectiveness in cutting a wide variety of materials but are most effective used in cutting vegetables, baked goods, meat, fish or poultry, The low cost of the tools of this invention combined with the replaceable feature of the thin, flat blade and the exceptional cutting ability make the tool a suitable and effective one for a multitude of uses.

In view of the preceding detailed description the use and operation of the cutting tools of this invention will be readily apparent and understood by those skilled in the art and no further description is deemed necessary.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described, various changes and modifications of such embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from this invention in its broadest aspects. The claims annexed hereto should therefore be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

I claim:

1. A hand cutting tool comprising a handle and three contiguous blades, the outer two blades being serrated support blades positioned on either side of and contiguous to a replaceable thin, flat cutting blade. said sup- 4 port blades having sharp cutting edges and defining a channel adapted to receive and provide transverse support for said replaceable blade.

2. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein the outer two blades are connected near their ends most remote from the handle by means of a keyhole slot and rivet.

3. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein the outer two blades are threaded at the end contiguous with the handle and are connected with the handle by a female threaded compartment in the handle.

4. A hand cutting tool of claim 3 wherein the outer two blades are connected near the end most remote from the handle by means of a keyhole slot and rivet.

5. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein one of the two outer blades has a projecting top surface which overlaps the top of the other outer blade.

6. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein one of the outer two blades has a projecting top surface which partially overlaps the top of the other outer blade. 

1. A hand cutting tool comprising a handle and three contiguous blades, the outer two blades being serrated support blades positioned on either side of and contiguous to a replaceable thin, flat cutting blade, said support blades having sharp cutting edges and defining a channel adapted to receive and provide transverse support for said replaceable blade.
 2. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein the outer two blades are connected near their ends most remote from the handle by means of a keyhole slot and rivet.
 3. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein the outer two blades are threaded at the end contiguous with the handle and are connected with the handle by a female threaded compartment in the handle.
 4. A hand cutting tool of claim 3 wherein the outer two blades are connected near the end most remote from the handle by means of a keyhole slot and rivet.
 5. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein one of the two outer blades has a projecting top surface which overlaps the top of the other outer blade.
 6. A hand cutting tool of claim 1 wherein one of the outer two blades has a projecting top surface which partially overlaps the top of the other outer blade. 